The rookie referees usually provide us with the most to talk about, and Tristante Oliva threw down his gauntlet for the white stick award with his quick-on-the-draw use of red cards this weekend. The janitor had to woken up from his siesta to run early baths for Lopo and Torres Gómez as a result. And Teixeira Vitienes was in the public eye after his personification of the three monkeys, hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. First of all he didn't see anything wrong in either direction after Notario clashed with a Mallorca forward in the Sevilla penalty area, and then he allowed Darío Silva to run on and score with the Mallorca players appealing for a foul by the Uruguayan striker on Lussenhoff.

But it was not only the new boys in the limelight, and Pérez Lasa upset Deportivo manager Javier Irureta when he sent off (or perhaps the correct expression is sent further off) substitute Scaloni for protesting while he was warming up. Irureta said that it appeared Pérez had a personal vendetta against his side after showing five red cards to his players in the 13 occasions he has refereed their matches. Elsewhere Ramírez Domínguez awarded a penalty to Murcia which to everyone else watching was a foul in the other direction. Striker Luis García appeared to have jumped on Javi González, but Ramírez saw it the other way round and pointed to the spot. Athletic manager Ernesto Valverde was too much of a gentleman to complain though. (23.09.03)